leading question
a question so worded as to suggest the proper or desired answer.
Origin of leading question
1Words Nearby leading question
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use leading question in a sentence
I say “discuss” and “talk about,” but that really means “ask leading questions about, judiciously, when she’s receptive, lest she flee.”
Carolyn Hax: How to help a teenage daughter with a chaotic friend? | Carolyn Hax | August 27, 2021 | Washington PostEvery 10 years, the National Research Council’s decadal survey raises leading questions posed in space exploration and determines what kinds of missions could answer them.
Bereft of leading questions or heavy-handed suggestions, The Truffle Hunters allows introspection and asks the viewer to come up with their own conclusions.
‘The Truffle Hunters’ Will Pique Your Appetite and Push You to Dig a Little Deeper | Elissa Suh | March 5, 2021 | EaterA carefully posed, leading question is one way to help someone that leaves the reins in the right person’s hands.
Carolyn Hax: Mom married a jerk, but never let it be said that she raised one | Carolyn Hax | November 29, 2020 | Washington PostThe National Right to Life Committee, for example, asks the leading question “Is Abortion Safe?”
Abortion Complications Are Rare, No Matter What the Right Says | Samantha Allen | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
What induced you to put such a leading question to the woman, assuming the boy was at home and in bed?
Trevlyn Hold | Mrs. Henry WoodShe had not intended to propound this leading question so quickly, but it came out as a natural climax to the situation.
Jennie Gerhardt | Theodore DreiserThe constitutional amendment, the state of the country, and the condition of commerce makes this the leading question of the day.
Letters and Literary Memorials of Samuel J. Tilden, v. 1 | Samuel J. TildenThe chief merit of the leading question lies in the fact that it paves the way for the answer.
Principles of Teaching | Adam S. BennionThe challenging question and the leading question are closely enough allied that we may well discuss them together.
Principles of Teaching | Adam S. Bennion
British Dictionary definitions for leading question
/ (ˈliːdɪŋ) /
a question phrased in a manner that tends to suggest the desired answer, such as What do you think of the horrible effects of pollution?
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for leading question
An unfair question that is designed to guide the respondent: “You were drunk the night of the accident, weren't you, Mr. Norris?”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with leading question
A question worded so as to elicit particular information or a particular answer, as in When are you selling the business? This example assumes that the person is going to sell the business, an action that may not have been established or revealed. This expression originated with a specific meaning in law, that is, “a question that guides a witness toward a desired answer.” In court, this practice is called leading a witness and is forbidden. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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